http://www.compassnews.net/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=43%3Anews&id=9455%3Aalamieyeseigha-rattles-obasanjo-in-katsina&Itemid=63

Alamieyeseigha rattles Obasanjo in Katsina
Tuesday, 03 February 2009 00:00
Dotun Oladipo


There is no let-up in the frosty relationship between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State. In fact, still embittered,

over the way he was treated as a sitting governor for money laundering under the Obasanjo administration, Alamieyeseigha embarrassed the former President in Katsina.
Alamieyeseigha was arrested in London on September 15, 2005 by the British police on charges of money laundering, escaped to Nigeria on November 21, 2005 and was impeached on December 9, 2005. He was subsequently arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and jailed. Throughout his trying times, he believed that Obasanjo used state machinery against him.

The face-off between the duo, according to sources, was at the Katsina Airport, Katsina State, when they, among others, went for the wedding of the daughter of President Umaru Yar’Adua to the Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda.

The Nigerian Compass learnt that Obasanjo was in the Very Important Personality (VIP) lobby of the airport for his return trip to Lagos with four others when Alamieyeseigha, who was believed to have been forcefully impeached by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly on Obasanjo’s prompting, entered.

As soon as Obasanjo sighted him after the former governor opened the door to the VIP section, he (the former president) was said to have become dumbfounded.

Indeed, one of those present during the drama, said that despite the fact that it took the former governor several minutes to exchange pleasantries with the other four people there, Obasanjo was still in awe at the sudden appearance of Alamieyeseigha.

The Nigerian Compass learnt that it was only when Alamieyeseigha pulled Obasanjo’s hand for a handshake that the ex-president recovered and apologised for his absent-mindedness.

Alamieyeseigha was said to have asked Obasanjo if his presence made him uncomfortable. The question did not receive immediate reply.

Sources said that Obasanjo, after the question, again stretched out his hand for a handshake with Alamieyeseigha.

He reportedly held on to the former governor’s hand until Alamieyeseigha asked him if it was not going to become the proverbial handshake that went beyond the elbow.

Obasanjo was said to have been embarrassed by this, but then relaxed his hold on the former governor’s hand.

“Obasanjo was thoroughly embarrassed by Alamieyeseigha’s composure and his control over the situation. In fact, I have never seen Obasanjo like that. He was not composed at all. The former governor really rattled him,” the source said.

Alamieyeseigha, sources said, traced his travails to Obasanjo, whom he was reportedly close and loyal to.

The Katsina incident came just days before former Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State reportedly refused to see Obasanjo who made a sudden appearance in his (Odili’s) home in Maitama, Abuja, in company with the former Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu.

In his bid to mend fences with some of those he fell out with towards the tail end of his presidency, Obasanjo has been reaching out.

This was the premise on which the visit to Odili was based.

He reportedly requested for a meeting with Odili, who sought to run for the presidency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was stopped by Obasanjo, alongside other aspirants.

This was in the countdown to the 2007 general election after the aspirants had invested time and money in the venture.

The PDP’s ticket was eventually given to Yar’Adua.

Sources said that Obasanjo was bent on closing ranks with those he fell out with in the bid to ensure that Yar’Adua does not get re-elected in 2011.

He reportedly fell out with Yar’Adua shortly after his successor took over on May 29, 2007.

His grouse had to do with the reversal of numerous policies and programmes of his administration.

Sources said that at a point when Yar’Adua could not stomach the numerous calls from Obasanjo, he stopped picking his calls.

Aside the Katsina drama, the former president was also embarrassed at the weekend in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

This time around, the man who handed over to him on May 29, 1999, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was at the centre of the action.

Abdulsalami arrived the rock city for the doctorate degree award from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB).

The former head of state, who succeeded the late General Sani Abacha on June 8, 1998, arrived Abeokuta on Friday and was scheduled to leave on Sunday.

He was quartered at the Presidential Lodge, a stone’s throw to Obasanjo’s mansion.

“Baba wanted Abdulsalami to come to his house on Friday. He waited and waited but Abdulsalami refused to go. In fact, Obasanjo waited in vain,” said a source.

With so much pressure coming from Obasanjo, Abdulsalami left the rock city on Saturday.

Abdulsalami was reportedly to have said: “I can’t sit with that man. I can’t drink in his house. I don’t want to have anything to do with him.”

nigerian papers sef!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dont mind these brown-envelope journalists

who is abdusalami to start forming as if his shit does not smell. abegi. so because he handed over in 99 we have to canonize him shey?

dont we all know, he was persona non grata in the US until Yardy the dunce paid up millions of dollars in blood money, on his behalf. ugly hypocrite.

are the people not all the same?
Alayamesiagba really has some guts to be parading in public. . . and what was Alayathief doing in a VIP lounge?

hollandis:

, the evil that men do, lives with them

they are birds of the same feather corrupting this nation

See how the paper vomitted expectation like reality. Na by fire by force to entertain us with gists . I fear this "Dem say, dem say" journalist o.

All of them be robbers , thief ,ole, Barrow.

Abdusalam is a silent rogue
OBJ is a hypocctitical crook
Odili is an unrepentant thief.
Alamco is a convicted fraudster

Lagosboy:

All of them be robbers , thief ,ole, Barrow.

Abdusalam is a silent rogue
OBJ is a hypocctitical crook
Odili is an unrepentant thief.
Alamco is a convicted fraudster

My brother, how this crooked by nature men continue to make the headline still baffles me.
They all had very good opportunity of impacting on the lives of the people at different occassion
but what happened? Rather, they left a trail of economic embezzlement, infrastructural decay,
poverty elevation, and all sort of plagues on the poor masses.

The evil that men do, lives after with them, torment them till they die.

PDP is a collection of crooks. i wonder why people bother voting for them

@JJYOU

You think say people dey vote PDP .If people vote dey count 4 naija you go dey suprised at results.

Lagosboy:

All of them be robbers , thief ,ole, Barrow.

Abdusalam is a silent rogue
OBJ is a hypocctitical crook
Odili is an unrepentant thief.
Alamco is a convicted fraudster

yeah!

JJYOU:

PDP is a collection of crooks. i wonder why people bother voting for them

haba,u believe say ppl dey vote for them

All of them be robbers , thief ,ole, Barrow.

Abdusalam is a silent rogue
OBJ is a hypocctitical crook
Odili is an unrepentant thief.
Alamco is a convicted fraudster

They're all thieves!!!!!

Abdulsalami was reportedly to have said: “I can’t sit with that man. I can’t drink in his house. I don’t want to have anything to do with him.”

I guess, it is true that one man's garbage happens to be the other man's treasure.
Sunday Ehindero will eat and drink with OBJ at any time and any day. It is an everlasting ass kissing deal!

abdulsalami way go change mouth nah nah